Apparatus for treating wood.



W. Nl. BASHLIN.

j APPARATUS FOR TREATING WOOD.

APPucATmN F1LED M1111. 29. 1912.

` 1,198,990. Patented Sept.l 19,19%.

' Primarias non 'rnna'rino woon.

To UH @rho/m` 'it 'may concern le it known that l, WILLI-AM M. BAsHLN, a citizen vof the United Statesfresiding at Grove-"City, in the county of Mercer and State ot Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for rlreating` Wood, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to in iprovements in the art of treating woods, and more especially to the extraction of turpentine and ,resins therefrom, and the primary Nobject gsd of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus whereby the treatment of the. wood is rendered more rapid, uniform and eli'ective, and an improved product is obtained. ln the preferred embodiment ot the invention, whichv is adapted for the extraction of turpentine and resins, the apparatus is so constructed that the body of wood to be treated isheated uniformly the application ol heatthereto both exteriorly and interior-ly and also steam may bedischarged into and distributed evenly throughout the body of the charge 'of wood to free the tur-- pentine therefrom and to bring the resins to t'nc surface ot the chips or particles, and after the resins have been brought to the surface of the wood, chips or particles by the application of heat in the manner stated, a. solvent is caused to ow through the charge to wash ott` the resinsffrom the chips.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements,l and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described the novel features being pointed out particu- `lai-ly in the claims at the end of the specitication.

The accompanying drawing,r represents a central vertical section of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.

rlhe construction shown is generally preferred, especially when the apparatus is. employed for the purpose of` extracting turpentine and resin from wood, but it willbe understood that the invention is not necessai-ily limited to the particular construction shown, -as modifications and changes may be made therein in adapting tne invention to the conditions or remiirexnents ofeach' particular case, the scope ot the invention, being: defined in the claims. v

The apparatus shown in the present in- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19', 1616.

Appiicaaon mea Marca 29, 1912. sei-iai No, estese.

stance embodies a retort which is composed ofl an inner shell 1 which is preferably cy-r lindrical in form and is closed at top and l.

bottom by suitable heads 2 and 3, one of- .these heads, the head 2 in the present instance, being preterably provided with a domeI 4 Whiclriscovered by a tight-fitting lid 5, the latter 'being held in position by a suitable clamp 6. One side of the retort is also preferably provided with a manhole 7 which may be conveniently located toward `the bottom of tlie'retort and communicates`` with the interior thereof. This manhole is covered by a tight-tting lid A8 which may also be held in position by a clamp 9. The sides and bottom of the retort are inclosed by a jacket 10 which forms a heating space or chamber 11 which is adapted to receive steam from a pipe v12 which pipe may be `connected -to any suitable .source of steam supply such, for example, as the steam pipe 13. The bottom ot the retort lcontains a support for the ycharge 'of wood and this support, according to the present invent-ion, serves also asa filter or strainer. ln the present. instance, the support embodies a suitable number of ,superposed .plates 14 which are'foraminous or formed with perfoi-ations 15, these pcrforations in the plates being ,preferably staggered or offset, as shown,

A slieet 'of fabric 1 6 of appropriate char-1' acter is preferably arrangedV at the under side of the uppermost foraminous plate and sheets of woven Wire mesh 17 are interposed between the middle plate and 'the top and bottom plates. This structure just described `is suitably supported in the lower portion ot the retort, for example, by aninternal flange or ledge 1S and the plates and the mesh are maintained in prper spaced relation by suitable means such, for example, as the rings 19. A residuum chamber 90 is formed in the bottom ot' the retort belovv' the support just described,v and a pipe 2l is provided for drawing oi the residuum.

A pipe 21 connected to the pipe 21 may serve`t0 initially introduce the solvent int-o the retort. The residuum chamber 2OY contains piping whichA is preferably in the form of a coil 22 having upwardly directed vents or orifices 23, this coil being 'connected by a pipe 24 to the steam supply pipe 13 whereby steam may be admitted to the coil 22 jmd thS Steam may be projected from the vents or orifices 23 upwardly through the charge support and filter composed of the pipe`24, and steam may be admitted. to they blower under lthe control of a valve whereby the accui'nulation of any substance on the strainer head tending to clog the perforations therein can be removed when necessary. The outlet pipe 25 for the solvent preferably leads to the inlet of a suit. able `circulating pump and the discharge side of this pump is connected by a pipe 31 to the inlet pipe 32 ofa coil or percolator 33, the coil shown in thepresent instance being formed with numerous downwardly directed vents or orifices 34 through which the solvent may be distributed evenly over the charge contained in the retort.

That portion of the retort between the lower and upper coils 2Q and 33 contains means .for heating the interior of `a charge or body of wood contained in the retort whereby all portions `of the charge may be heated uniformly by the application of heat both exteriorly and interiorly of the charge. Heating means of different kinds may be used for applying heat interior-ly 'to the charge. In the present instance, a closed helical heating coil 35 is shown and this coil may receive steam at an appropriate temperature through the pipes 3G and 37. These pipes maybe conveniently connected tothe steam supply pipe 13 and provided with appropriate valves 38 and 39 whereby the steam supply to the coil and conse quently the heating effect orr temperature of the coil may be regulated as conditions may require, the coilv 35 and the pipes 36 and 37 forming a closed circuit with the steam supply pipe 13. Means is also provided for injecting steam in the body of the charge for the purpose of liberating the turpentine and light oils therefrom. In the present instance, a suitable number of closed vertical manifolds`40 are shown which are connected in the form of a frame which surrounds the coil 35, and each manifold is connected to a suitable number of steam distributing pipes 41, these pipes in the present instance radiating from the center of the retort andare provided with vents or orifices 42 through which .the steam fromV the respective manifolds is discharged and distributed uniformly within the body of the charge. The distributing pipes may also serve as means for distributing the solvent throughout the body of the charge and to accomplish these results, a pipe 43 may be 13, as shown.l

messen used which leads tothe manifolds 4G, and

this pipe is connected to and may receive` steam from the supply pipe 13 under the closing the steam vvalve 44 and opening the valve 45, the solvent may be caused to enter the manifolds 40 and discharge ldirect y into the mass'through the distributing pipes. A pipe 46 leads from the dome 4 and is pref` erably connected to a suitable vacuum pump whereby a pressure below atmosplric presi t e retort` sure may be maintained within. during the treatment of each charge for` the extraction of the turpentine and resin. A pipe 47 alsoleads from the dome 4 and. may serve to convey away to a condenser, the solvent remaining in the woo i after. the solvent` has been converted i to gaseous form.` illhe solvent in gaseous form may be withdrawn by any suitable exhaust idevice, a siphon or ejector 4S being sho-wn in the present instance and the nozzle 49 thereof may receive steam from the steam pip` lfn order tp condense and thereby prevent high pressure of any gases that may accumulate in the upper portionof the retort, due to the combining of the gases or hydrocarbons native to the Wood with the i .water or other cooling medium through the inlet pipe 51and thew'ater from the coil may discharge through thev outlet '52.` Gage glasses 53'and 54 may be provided` foraine dicating the levels of the liquid in 'the upper and lower portions of the retort, and a safety valve 55 may be provided 'to prevent the development of excessive pressure iny the retort. Apparatus embodying the present inven tion may be operated in diferent'ways,' it being understood that the invention is not restricted to any particular mode of using the apparatus.

I shall describe the preferred method of operating the apparatus for the purpose of extracting turpentine and resin from wood, and it will be understood that this method is not restricted to the use of any particular solvent, although 'I prefer to employ a solvent composed of benzin and turpentine as' described in my lso-pending application, Serial No. 659,634, a solvent of that character operating perfectly to dissolve the resin, the operation of extracting the resin mayV be performed at a relatively low temperature,

for this purpose after' the turpenti-ne, oils, resin-and solvent have been removed, the

vchips may remain in the retort or extractor' and there' treated with any7 of the'well *known pulping liquors such, for example, as

bytreating the wood first with either carbonate or birarbonate of soda 'which may be preliminary to the use of the caustic soda, sulfite or sulfate processes.. Algreat economy in time and labor willbe effected in this Way owing to the vfact that the amount of :handling of the chips is reduced to a :minimum and, moreover, a continuous and coml lete process serves to recover all the byy pr ucts and to reclaim the chips for further use. In using the `apparatus for Apulp making purposes, the pulping liquor may be pumped into the retort through the steam distributing pipes and thereby caused to act upon the entire body or charge of Wood, and

Vthe circulating of the .liquor will produce an intimate and quick chemicalvaction. In treating the wood in this manner, a high pressure of steam in the jacket should be avoided in order that the pulp may have the natural color of the Wood. Moreover, by using a low steam pressure and circulating the pulp liquor over and through the charge of Wood, disintegration ofl the fiber into small pieces is avoided and, therefore, a product which is better in color and strength is obtained in less time and with less expense than is possible with the processes now generally practised. If, for any reason, heavy resins, tars or oils have not all been previously removed, thesel settle in the bottoni- ,of the retort under the perforated support Aand they may bethen drawn off and refined through the outlet pipe 21. Any lighter by-products such, for example, as turpentine or lighter voils which may remain in the wood, will Vaporize and maybe recovered through the condensing pipe 47. I claim as my invention L- i. 1. Apparatus for treating Wood comprising a retort adapted to contain acharge of wood and having ajacket` for heatingsuch charge exteriorly, a closed` steamheating coil arranged vertically and centrally with# inthe retort orapplying dry heat to the interiorof the charge, and perforated distributing pipes grouped around said coil for introducing steam into the body r of the` charge of wood in the retort.`

2. Apparatus for treating wood compris-,1 ing a retort adapted to contain a charge of wood and having a jacket for heating such charge exteriorly, meansarranged` Within the retort for applying dry heat to the interior of the charge, perforated distributingf pipes arranged around said dry heating,r means, means for supplyingsteam to the distributing pipes, and means for supplying,` a solvent to the distributing pipes.

3. Apparatus for treating Wood comprising a retort adapted to contain a charge of i Witnesses: BENJAMIN 4SPEARMAN VVEsLer H. CHRISTY. 

